Pride and Prejudice - Chapter 9
プライドと偏見 - 第9章
The Netherfield ball was to be the social event of the season. Everyone in the neighbourhood was talking about it, and the Bennet sisters were busy preparing their dresses.
ネザーフィールドで舞踏会が開かれる。エリザベスはウィカムと踊ることを期待していたが、彼は来なかった。おそらくダーシーを避けるためだろう。
On the night of the ball, the assembly rooms at Meryton were filled with people. Music played, couples danced, and conversation filled the air.
彼女はコリンズ氏と踊らなければならず、それは気まずい経験となる。その後、ダーシーが彼女をダンスに誘い、驚いたことに彼女は承諾してしまう。ダンスの間、彼らは緊張した会話を交わす。
Jane looked beautiful in a simple white dress. Bingley was delighted to see her, and he spent most of the evening dancing with her.
ベネット家の人々は舞踏会でマナーの悪い振る舞いをし、ダーシーの彼らに対する偏見を裏付けてしまう。
Elizabeth, in a pale blue dress, danced with several partners, though she had hoped to dance with Wickham. But Wickham was absent from the ball, to her disappointment.
Instead, she found herself dancing with Darcy. It was an awkward dance, with neither of them saying much. Elizabeth remembered his refusal to dance with her at the first ball, and she determined to make him regret his words.
"You once said I was not handsome enough to tempt you," she said to him.
Darcy looked surprised. "Did I say that? I do not remember."
"You did," Elizabeth insisted. "And you were wrong."
Darcy was silent for a moment. Then he said quietly, "I was wrong about many things that night."
Elizabeth was surprised by his admission. She had expected him to be proud and defensive, not to admit his mistake.
Later in the evening, she observed the Bingley sisters. They were talking to each other in low voices, obviously discussing Jane and Bingley. Elizabeth was sure that they were trying to separate the couple.
"They are jealous," she whispered to Jane. "They want Bingley for themselves."
Jane shook her head. "No, Lizzy. They are just concerned for their brother. They want to make sure he makes a good match."
But Elizabeth was not convinced. She saw the coldness in their eyes when they looked at Jane, and she knew they did not consider the Bennets good enough for their brother.
When the ball ended, the Bennets returned home, exhausted but happy. The evening had been a success—at least for Jane and Bingley. But Elizabeth could not shake the feeling that something was wrong, that there were forces working against her sister's happiness.